1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector having an improved shielding member with its lower portion received in a housing of the connector.
2. Description of Related Art
It is becoming more and more desirable to provide shieldings around electrical connectors to protect signals transmitted therethrough from electromagnetic and radio frequency interferences (EMI/RFI). U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,396 B1, issued to Kuan on Nov. 27, 2001, discloses an electrical connector comprising an insulating base 1 having a plurality of terminal receiving slots 10, a metal shielding member 2 covering the external periphery of the insulative base 1 such that the insulative base 1 is shielded.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,809 B1, issued to Chun-Yuan on Apr. 16, 2002, discloses an electrical connector comprising a rectangular insulating unit 1 defining a plurality of terminal accommodating grooves 10 respectively receiving terminals 3 therein and an integral metal enveloping unit 2 enveloping said insulating unit 1. However, the above-mentioned shielding member or integral metal enveloping unit is made of metal sheet and encloses the insulative base or insulative unit by bending the shielding member or metal enveloping unit into a quadrangular configuration, so a slit is defined between free ends of the metal sheet, thus the shield may loosen from the insulative base or insulative unit when external forces are exerted thereon. Furthermore, some conventional electrical connectors have shielding members with their solder tabs and holding tabs integrated together. The holding tab is subject to displacement when the solder tab is soldered onto an electrical circuit board, thereby making the shielding member loosen from the insulative housing. In addition, the above-mentioned conventional shielding members are all individually produced which is not suitable for mass production.
Hence, an improved electrical connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the related art.
The object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector with a shield securely attached and a method of making such an electrical connector, wherein the shield is formed by drawing and stamping and is suitable for mass production.
An electrical connector according to the present invention comprises an insulative base, a shielding member and a plurality of terminals received in the insulative base. The insulative base has a base plate and a pair of side portions formed at lateral sides of the base plate. The base plate has a top wall, a bottom wall, a first side wall and a second side wall. Each side portion defines a receiving cavity therein. The insulative base has a mating board extending upwardly from the top wail of the base plate. A plurality of fixing members and wedges are formed on the first side wall and the second side wall of the base plate. The mating board has a plurality of terminal receiving grooves. The shielding member has a chamber for accommodating the base plate and the mating board. The shielding member also has a pair of side wails and a chamber defined between the side walls. Each side wall has a pair of mating holes and mating recesses. A plurality of solder tabs extend from bottom edges of the side walls. Each terminal includes a mating portion, a fixing portion extending from the mating portion, a bending portion extending perpendicularly to the fixing portion and a soldering portion extending parallel to the fixing portion. In assembly, each mating portion of the terminals is received in a corresponding terminal receiving groove. The shielding member shields the insulative base. The wedges and the fixing members respectively engage with corresponding mating holes and mating recesses. Each lateral end of the shielding member is inserted into the receiving cavity.
A method of making the electrical connector is as follows: providing an insulative base defining a receiving cavity in each lateral side thereof; providing a shielding member formed by drawing; providing a plurality of terminals; assembling the insulative base, the shielding member and the terminals together with opposite lateral end portions of the shielding member received in corresponding receiving cavities of the insulative base.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.